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Old 10-07-2022, 01:06 AM   #11
Ria P
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Default Re: Would it be a little too soon to take a new hamster?

You say that he looks kind of fat. Just be aware that petshops sometimes get the gender wrong and sell pregnant hamsters. I'd make sure that this hamster really is a male Syrian.

Also, for a Syrian you'd need to get bigger furnishings and maybe couldn't use much of Bogie's things. You need a 28cm wheel, large house like a guinea pig sized house etc. I always look for things for rats because what they sell in petshops for hamsters is only big enough for dwarfs.
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Old 10-07-2022, 01:07 AM   #12
Ria P
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Default Re: Would it be a little too soon to take a new hamster?

Posted at the same time as Serendipity hence the mention of pregnancy.
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Old 10-07-2022, 01:21 AM   #13
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Would it be a little too soon to take a new hamster?

I should have said dilute white vinegar - 50/50 with water. It's partially a disinfectant as well as a scent remover but not reliable fully as a disinfectant - it kills some bugs but not all. So you still need to use a disinfectant first. (But don't mix them - rinse thoroughly after the disinfectant - mixing any chemicals can give off fumes that are bad for you).

So I do:

1) Pet disinfectant spray - rinse.
2) Wet sponge and washing up liquid - soap it all over and foamy - rinse.
3) 50/50 white vinegar and water (or alternatively leave the cage to air for 2 to 3 weeks if it's not needed).
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Old 10-07-2022, 08:22 AM   #14
ShadowNinjaHamster
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Default Re: Would it be a little too soon to take a new hamster?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Serendipity7000 View Post
I should have said dilute white vinegar - 50/50 with water. It's partially a disinfectant as well as a scent remover but not reliable fully as a disinfectant - it kills some bugs but not all. So you still need to use a disinfectant first. (But don't mix them - rinse thoroughly after the disinfectant - mixing any chemicals can give off fumes that are bad for you).

So I do:

1) Pet disinfectant spray - rinse.
2) Wet sponge and washing up liquid - soap it all over and foamy - rinse.
3) 50/50 white vinegar and water (or alternatively leave the cage to air for 2 to 3 weeks if it's not needed).
Can't I use the substance that the vet gave to get rid of the bugs? I had to clean the cage very carefully and it took me 8 hours to clean. The vet said it if it's cleaned badly Bogie will die, but that was a year ago and if I did a bad job with that Bogie would've died earlier.

I'm still cleaning Bogie's cage. I've got 4 trash bags of bedding already and I shouldn't have worried about Bogie's food. He had it pretty much everywhere
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Old 10-07-2022, 08:27 AM   #15
ShadowNinjaHamster
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Default Re: Would it be a little too soon to take a new hamster?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ria P View Post
You say that he looks kind of fat. Just be aware that petshops sometimes get the gender wrong and sell pregnant hamsters. I'd make sure that this hamster really is a male Syrian.

Also, for a Syrian you'd need to get bigger furnishings and maybe couldn't use much of Bogie's things. You need a 28cm wheel, large house like a guinea pig sized house etc. I always look for things for rats because what they sell in petshops for hamsters is only big enough for dwarfs.
I won't buy a hamster yet then. I'll wait for my friend so she can ask them how old the hamster is etc, though they probably don't know.
You see, I'm not as advanced of an hamster owner to deal with a pregnant hamster.

Bogie had big things though. His house is huge as well. It's difficult to find anything for dwarf hamsters.

28cm wheel? As in width? Height? I have 3 different wheels. Hmm, that hamster could've been pregnant, yeah. I didn't think about that
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Old 10-07-2022, 09:08 AM   #16
Ria P
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Default Re: Would it be a little too soon to take a new hamster?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ShadowNinjaHamster View Post
I won't buy a hamster yet then. I'll wait for my friend so she can ask them how old the hamster is etc, though they probably don't know.
You see, I'm not as advanced of an hamster owner to deal with a pregnant hamster.

Bogie had big things though. His house is huge as well. It's difficult to find anything for dwarf hamsters.

28cm wheel? As in width? Height? I have 3 different wheels. Hmm, that hamster could've been pregnant, yeah. I didn't think about that
28cm diameter of the wheel itself.
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Old 10-07-2022, 09:16 AM   #17
ShadowNinjaHamster
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Default Re: Would it be a little too soon to take a new hamster?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Serendipity7000 View Post
Sorry - didn't realise you had a large cage. I just vaguely remembered you were thinking of changing cages a while back, so maybe you already did. Did you have to mesh the cage then? Bar spacing for guinea pigs is usually larger than 1cm.

Shame about the donut bed - they wash up quite well I found, in a washing machine - although then you need to check them to see if they're still in tact and no loose stitching etc - although maybe it was beyond cleaning up. And to disinfect it would probably need a very hot wash and then it might fall apart. Although it can be hard if certain things are associated with the last hamster but that can wear off in time. I think they're great for out of cage time but I wouldn't use one inside the cage again - even if your last hamster didn't chew it, another one could. Any kind of fabric is a bit risky in the cage.

A Syrian would almost certainly escape if the bar spacing was bigger than 1cm.

The one in the photo looks like he's asleep. It can help to see them awake to make sure they're not sick. I think in most pet shops they are just in a tank with bedding, a food bowl water and perhaps one toy - a cardboard tube. Our first one was. No they don't usually have wheels in pet shops either. That's not such a bad thing if they're babies or very young because if they have a wheel too soon there have been stories of them having a heart attack from over use. I know some breeders don't give them a wheel until they're about 12 weeks old. Baby hamsters are often rehomed at 6 to 8 weeks old. Although most people give them a wheel straight away.

I know what you mean about feeling sorry for them and wanting to give one a home. It's very tricky - weighing up the need to save one and the risk of poor health if the pet shop conditions aren't good. You had an awful time initially with your last one having bugs. I don't know what it's like where you are, but are there people advertising wanting to rehome their hamster? Eg adopting one. They are often unwanted pets that were bought for children who got bored with them.

If you do get one from a pet store and the hamster isn't active and healthy looking then get a vet check - and if it needs any treatment the pet store should pay. But if it does seem active and healthy then it might be best to just let them settle in for that first 2 or 3 weeks settling in time rather than stressing them out with another change of environment by going to the vets. Baby hamsters can get freaked quite easily. I wouldn't go to the same pet shop though.

It can be quite a task thoroughly disinfecting the bars of the cage - I used to put them in the bath and spray the bars inside and out thoroughly all round with the disinfectant spray, leave it 15 minutes or so, rinse it off and then I'd go over the bars again with a sponge with washing up liquid which foams everything up - eg soap gets all bits of the bars and joints so nothing is missed, and then rinse all that off. Same with the base - inside and out. It's not just to disinfect it, but to remove all scent of the last hamster or it can freak out another hamster if they can smell a previous one (or smell sickness).

If the cage was then going to be used for another hamster I'd probably then clean it a second time after all that with white vinegar. Which does help remove scents. But that needs thoroughly rinsing off or it's a bit of a strong scent.
No, I don't have a mesh for a cage. I should definitely look for something as with Bogie we had a trust based relationship and he didn't even try to escape when there was nothing on the cage, especially during his last weeks, since he didn't move much.
I cannot really find a mesh. I can find for chickens and birds but not for hamsters.

I think it's larger than 1cm, I am certainly sure of it since I can fit my whole hand through there. Bogie once started to climb out and I said: "Don't" and he backed off. That actually happened and I was surprised as well. I'm pretty sure it was the tone of my voice.I trusted bogie and he didn't climb out. All I had to do was be at the cage at 07:00 or before or at 19:15 or before.

A lot of people told me that dwarf hamsters don't think since they have such small brains, but Bogie had a routine and he washed himself the same way every day, so he had to think something.

I almost have no memory of how I tamed Bogie. I remember watching a lot of YouTube videos and one comment stuck with me: "I just want my hamster to love me
Edit: Nevermind. It's dead now".
And I thought this is the way me and Bogie will end up but that was not the case at all.

I haven't seen people giving away hamsters or other rodents. Rather cats and dogs, but in my home country I've seen many ads + animal shelters giving away mice or rats. Still, it'll take me time to clean Bogie's cage.

Thank you for your advice.
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Old 10-07-2022, 09:43 AM   #18
Ria P
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Default Re: Would it be a little too soon to take a new hamster?

You were incredibly lucky that Bogie didn't escape. It is highly unusual for a hamster to stay in a cage they can easily get out of.

I would not get another hamster until you have meshed this cage. You would feel terrible if a hamster escaped from it and die a slow traumatic death trapped under a floor board, inside a wall or drainage pipe.

In fact, i think it is very irresponsible to keep a hamster in a cage that is not escape proof and hope for the best.
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Old 10-07-2022, 09:49 AM   #19
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Would it be a little too soon to take a new hamster?

I remember now about the bar spacing. Never trust a hamster! You've been lucky. Are you sure he wasn't sneaking out at night and then sneaking back in again! Guinea pig cages usually have about 2cm bar spacing and definitely need meshing if it's for a hamster. Anything bigger than 1cm bar spacing they can get out of.

Usually a hamster's raison d'etre is to escape - no matter how large the cage. However I have accidentally left the door open all night before (to my horror) and my hamster didn't leave the cage at all. Some of them are happy in their cage especially when older, And I know he hadn't been out as the cage was high up. But they escape a LOT! Their most active time is at night when you're asleep.

It doesn't matter if the mesh is for chickens or birds - it just needs to be 1cm square mesh. However meshing a cage is not an easy thing to do - and it needs to be done so it's safe and no sharp edges (and it can hurt your fingers a lot).

Not something that could be done too quickly. The other option would be to make a large bin cage instead - but that would mean dealing with mesh at some point as well. And I think it can be hard to find large enough bins.

I definitely wouldn't get another hamster until there's a way to secure the cage bar spacing or an alternative kind of cage (if you found a different cage you could maybe sell the guinea pig cage?). But if you want to mesh the cage then once it's done it's always suitable for any hamster. The mesh needs to go on the inside. If you mesh the outside the hamster can still get through the bars and get trapped under the mesh and cut or hurt themselves (and be difficult to get them out again).

Most hardware stores should sell 1cm square mesh. And if you take the measurements you need, they could even cut it to size so you have all the right size pieces to attach. You attach it with cable ties. Then the fiddly bit is folding the edges under on the mesh so there aren't any sharp cut edges on the inside of the cage.

It is hard still thinking about your hamster at this time and the memories when it's so recent - in time you'll be able to remember the happy bits without feeling sad.

If the vet gave you some stuff to disinfect the cage that would be fine. I still do the soapy thing afterwards to make sure a little crevice hasn't been missed and it's all been washed, not just disinfected. That is the quick easy bit with a sponge. I do it in the bath so I can use the shower head to rinse it all off.

Yes for Syrians you need a 28cm diameter wheel (bigger is ok), rat sized hides and tunnels (pringles tubes make good tunnels ). And a large house. A shoe box house can be a good size - a cardboard one that is. Easy to make out of a shoebox. And big enough to fit a litter tray inside.
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Old 10-07-2022, 09:51 AM   #20
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Would it be a little too soon to take a new hamster?

Posted at the same time as Ria again!
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